1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to load leveling shock absorbers and more particularly to a telescoping hydraulic shock absorber providing automatic level adjustment to a predetermined extension of the shock absorber.
2. Technical Background
An automobile has a preferred spacing between a sprung portion of the automobile which carries the passengers, power plant, fuel and luggage, and an unsprung portion of the automobile which includes the running gear in contact with the surface over which the automobile travels. Variation in the total load or in the position of passengers, luggage, trailers and fuel carried by the automobile can compromise the preferred spacing at any given point of support.
A number of techniques have been proposed in the prior art for providing leveling and/or compensation for load variation in vehicles. Variable rate springs help limit the variation in spacing between sprung and unsprung portion. Another solution provides air shock absorbers which can be pressurized to support heavier loads. Some vehicles using air shocks require the driver to visit a service station or other source of pressurized air for pressurizing the shocks. Some vehicles carry an onboard air pump for pressurizing the air shocks. A few vehicles have sophisticated onboard computer systems and onboard pumps, for both air and damping liquid, to detect vehicle height for variation in load weight and distribution.
A simple, yet purely mechanical solution to vehicle level adjustment, compatible for installation on existing automobiles as a replacement shock absorber would provide numerous advantages over the prior art.